to force the carrying out of this agreement, but Penn replied that that would be wrong toward these simple children of the prairie; he asked them what they thought would be right, and they simply demanded a few more rolls of cloth, to which Penn agreed. Not only was war averted, but the Indians were pleased with the fair and just spirit shown by the strangers, and became their friends.—James T. White, "Character Lessons."
(1706)
The story is told of a boy whose mother gave him some food to feed the chickens and little ducks. While feeding them he noticed that the ducks were scooping in nearly all the food. He saw that their large bills gave them a decided advantage and this he did not like. It did not exactly square with his notion of justice, so he got hold of a knife with a good edge to it, and just as fast as he could catch the ducklings he cut down their bills to match the size of that of the chicks.
(1707)
JUSTICE BY MAJORITY
Mr. Justice Perrot was a servile political
judge, whose power of discrimination was
well measured by the celebrated way in
which he summed up to the jury in a case of
a disputed watercourse, at Exeter Assizes.
He concluded thus: "Gentlemen, there are
fifteen witnesses who swear that the watercourse
used to flow in a ditch on the north
side of the hedge. On the other hand, gentlemen,
there are nine witnesses who swear
that the watercourse used to flow on the
south side of the hedge. Now, gentlemen,
if you subtract nine from fifteen, there remain
six witnesses wholly uncontradicted,
and I recommend you to give your verdict
accordingly, for the party who called those
six witnesses."—Croake James, "Curiosities
of Law and Lawyers."
(1708)
JUSTICE DELAYED
A case that has been on Chicago court
dockets for almost twenty years was brought
to light, and an effort made to hasten
the progress of the wheels of justice in
its disposal. The case is a damage suit
of the survivors of victims of the Tioga
steamer explosion July 11, 1890. Since it was
started the original lawyers on both sides
have died. The Tioga was moored in the
Chicago River, between Washington and
Randolph streets, when the explosion occurred,
resulting in an estimate of thirty
deaths.
The suit was filed in the Circuit Court, but was transferred to the United States District Court. Technical pleas and hearing of evidence before a master in chancery have consumed the years of litigation.
(1709)
As I passed down through India I saw two little rice-fields side by side. One was green and growing; the other was dead and dry. I looked for the cause. The great lake was full of water. There was no lack there. Into the one the living water was flowing, for the channel was open. The other was choked. Brother, is your life green and growing, fruitful and joyful, or barren and dry because the channel is choked?—G. S. Eddy, "Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions," 1910.
(1710)
JUSTICE, ETERNAL
Nations change their names, their boundaries,
their creeds and their languages.
The altars of yesterday are but the curios
of to-day. The temples that have been
raised to the worships that have now disappeared
from the face of the earth but move
our wonder that beliefs so simple and so
transparent should have nerved the minds
of men to raise such marvels of architecture.
But tho creeds and dynasties and languages
are ephemeral, the principles of justice
are eternal; and this Government,
founded and built upon them, will, I believe,
last to the end of time.—William Bourke
Cockran.
(1711)
JUVENILE COURT EXPERIENCE
Judge Ben Lindsey, who has been made famous by his remarkable work in the Juvenile Court of Denver, tells the following in The Survey:
A heart-broken mother whose child was
becoming dependent can tell her own story:
"My husband, judge, is a good man; he was
steady at his employment as structural iron-*worker
until recently. Now he is neglecting
his home and his work. As soon as he quits
work he goes down to the gambling-house
and there he is being ruined. He used to
go to mass with me on Sunday, and he was
so good and loving to us all. Now he is
indifferent, gloomy and melancholy. I am
without clothes and the children have no
shoes. He has gambled away two hundred
dollars of the money that belongs to his
union, for he was highly respected and
elected its treasurer. I gave him fifty dollars
to pay the chattel mortgage on our fur-
